Dublin residents have the highest incomes in Ireland, on average, followed by the people of Limerick, Kildare and Cork.

These four counties were the only ones with above average incomes, according to new figures.

The Central Statistics Office(CSO) released the most up-to-date income figures for the nation yesterday, covering the year 2014.

The average disposable income for people in Ireland was €19,178 in 2014.

The CSO definition of disposable income is a person's total income minus income tax and other taxes and social insurance contributions, or PRSI payments.

Dublin residents topped the income league with an average of €21,963, after tax and PRSI.

Limerick residents came second with €20,395, Kildare was in third place with €19,385, followed by Cork with €19,234.

The lowest incomes in Ireland were in Donegal with an average of €15,061. Second last was Roscommon on €16,281.

Third lowest was Monaghan on €16,395, followed by Offaly on €16,460.

The Dublin region's average disposable income per person at €21,963 was 14.5pc higher than the average nationwide figure of €19,178. The Dublin residents' income in 2014 showed a rise of 5.5pc compared with the previous year.

Of the remaining seven regions, only the Mid West, consisting of Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary, with an overall average of €19,021, had an average disposable income per person on a par with the State average.

The Border region with €16,601 and the Midland region with €17,035 fared worst among the eight regions at approximately 13pc and 11pc respectively below the State average.

The gap between the maximum and minimum value of disposable income per head per region increased from €4,524 in 2013 to €5,362 in 2014, due to Dublin regional incomes increasing by €1,129 (5.4pc).

Those in the Border region, the lowest income region, increased by €291, or 1.7pc.

Dublin continues to remain the only region with higher per capita disposable income than the State average during the entire 2006-2014 period, while the Midland, Border and West regions continue to earn less than the State average.

Viewed from this longer-term perspective, that is from 2006 onwards, the divergence in income between the regions and Dublin was at its lowest in 2010 but has continued to widen in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

The CSO stated the figures provide an useful indication of income variability.